Electrochemical behavior and voltammetric determination of some nitro-substituted benzamide compounds

Abstract

Voltammetric behaviors of six nitro-substituted benzamides, which are potential prodrug candidates fornitroreductase-based cancer therapy, were investigated using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry(DPV). The electrochemical behavior of aromatic nitro (ArNO 2) compounds by CV indicates that compounds involvevarious reduction/oxidation steps including the formation of aromatic nitro radical, nitroso, hydroxylamine, and aminegroups. Applicability of the voltammetric determination of these prodrug candidates was studied by recording theirDPVs, carried out in mixed media (Britton Robinson buffer solution + DMF) at various pH values on a pencil graphiteelectrode (PGE). Results show that the PGE can offer a disposable, low-cost, and sensitive electrochemical determinationmethod for identifying nitro benzamide compounds. Under the experimental conditions, the PGE had a linear responserange from 0.5 to 100 µ M 4-nitro- N -(2-nitrophenyl)benzamide (compound 2). This voltammetric procedure indicatesthat nitro-substituted benzamide drugs can be successfully determined in pharmaceutical samples.